Desk or pocket bevel



Nov. 14, 1950 Filed May 28 1945 lllllllll! Ill! W. THOMAS DESK OR POCKET BEVEL 2 Shets-Sheet 2 IIIIHIIHI' "IHHHHH MZZiam Thamas "iv I Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,529,640 DESK on POCKET BEVEL William Thomas, San Francisco, Calif.

Application May 28, 1945, Serial No. 596,156 2 Claims. (01. 33-75) This present invention relates to a desk or pocket bevel for mechanics, engineers, draftsmen, contractors, builders, surveyors and. students.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a bevel whereby angles may be measured and which is equipped with a center bar carrying linear scale and comprises legs the wide sides of which carry useful information that may be combined with the angular measurement obtained, such as trigonometric or bevel tables or both and pitch tables. Since these tables appear in very small letters on bevels of small size, the may be read with the aid of a magnifying glass slidable on the center bar.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a bevel comprising in addition to the legs and protractor scale a center bar carrying a compass and level slidable on the bar and a telescope on one of the legs.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bevel for special trades which comprises legs of substantially triangular shape with popular angles and slotted in irregular curves. The legs carry useful tables of the kind described.

To obtain a full and correct understanding of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the hereinafter set forth description and the accompanyng drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of a preferred form of the bevel;

Figure 2 is a side view, viewed from the right side of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section on line (2-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view of the reverse side of the disjointed l gs of the bevel;

Figure 6 is a modification;

Figure '7 is a pivot bolt of simpler construction than that of Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of another modication.

In the drawings in which like numerals denote like or similar parts, Figures 15 illustrate a bevel comprising two legs 2, 3 which are substantial duplicates of one another. Both are of the same thickness, width and length and may be made of plastic or steel. In order to make such a plastic bevel suitable for a gift, the same may be finished in different colors and may be inlaid with gold or silver.

The free end of these legs are beveled (4) outwardly at an angle of 45. The upper or jointed ends are formed as centrally apertured cylindrical heads 5 having a radius equal to the'width of the leg with the result that the axis of the head and aperture lies in the plane of the longer, narrow and inner edge. One half of the thickness of each head is cut away on the sides facing each other so that one head fits into the depression created in the other, the entire legs have both sides flush with one another and the longer, inner edges contact one another when the bevel is in the folded position of Figure 1.

The legs are held together regardless of the angular relation between them by a bolt 6, having a head 1 bearing against the rear side of the bevel and a shank passing through the apertures in the leg heads. The shank is surrounded by a spring washer 8 which is forced against the front side of the bevel by a, nut 9 threaded on the shank with the result that friction will hold the legs in any angular relation, but will not prevent a change in this relation. The shank also passes through the aperture formed in the cylindrical boss ll] of a center bar II and is threaded through a thumbnut 12 whereby the former may be held in a predetermined angular position relative to the legs. The center bar extends almost to the periphery of the cylindrical heads and is beveled off at that end and on the side never in alignment with the narrow edge of vlies in the narrow inner edge (Figure 1) of the center bar and this edge lies also in the plane of the contacting lateral edges of the two legs.

The outside faces of the heads of the legs are provided with an angular or protractor scale l3 of 360 which can be used for measuring angles. Since the center bar overlies to some extent bar 3, the zero line of the protractor scale on the front face of the bevel should lie in the plane of the contacting inner edges of the legs and of the nearest narrow edge of the center bar.

Both sides of the legs may be provided with useful tables such as trigonometric tables l4 and bevel tables l5 and on the rear side of leg 2 may be arranged a pitch table 11. The center bar has a scale [3 in inches and extends somewhat beyond the beveled ends of the legs.

Small bevels carrying tables of small type could be provided with a reversible magnifying glass IQ of glass or plastic which has an opening through which the center bar passes and which may therefore be shifted to a desired position.

The aforedescribed bevel may be utilized for measuring angles up to and including 360, utilizing the protractor calibration 13 of the head 5 and with the inner, longer edges of the legs 2 and 3 as indexing lines therefor, and it will be readily obvious that the longitudinal edges of both legs may be employed as straight edges for marking ofi angles thus obtained. Likewise, the center bar ll may be utilized with the adjacently disposed protractor delineation l3 and in combination with the inner longer edge of either leg 2 or 3 for measuring a second angle, so that two angles may be simultaneously measured with the bevel. Likewise, the tapered end 16 of the center bar II can be utilized in conjunction with the scale markings 13 for obtaining reverse angle readings, either as to a second angle partially formed by the inner edge of said center bar or of an angle formed by the le s 2 and 3, in which latter case, the center bar H is disposed over the leg 3 and with the inner edges of said parts in alignment. Also, as pre -viously pointed out, the tapered end l6 may be driven into a timber or other surface for supporting the bevel while laying off an angle or while adjusting the bevel to a desired angle.

The bevel of Figure 6 comprises the parts of Figures 1-5 except the magnifier and includes a compass 2E] and level 2|, both slidable on the center bar. A telescope 22 is also arranged in parallel with the leg 3 and secured thereto.

Figure 8 shows a bevel especially suited for certain trades, such as artists, sign writers, painters or letterers. This bevel has protraction, trigonometric and bevel tables on both sides. The shape of the legs is such that certain common angles such as 45, 67 /2", and 90 may be drawn along the edges. One or both of the legs may also be slotted as at 23 for the drawing of irregular curves.

It is to be understood that the above disclosed embodiments of my invention are merely illustration, not limitations of the latter and that modifications and changes may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An instrument of the class described comprising a pair of legs pivotally connected to one another at one end and, having contacting edges and non-contacting edges, said legs being movable to position the contacting edges in abutting engagement, and a center bar pivoted on the pivotal connection and having an edge adapted for alignment with the contacting edges of the legs and having a shorter end terminating in a point, beveled on the edge opposite said edge aforementioned and having a longer end extending to beyond the free ends of the legs.

2. An instrument of the character described comprising a pair of legs having centrally apertured, substantially cylindrical heads at corresponding ends thereof, said heads being of half thicknesses with respect to the legs, a fastening extending through the apertures pivotally connecting said legs, said fastening having means to yieldably permit angular adjustment of the legs, a center bar pivotally mounted on said fastening for independent swinging movement thereon relatively to the legs and having a straight edge disposed along a line intersecting the axis of the fastening, said legs having corresponding edges disposed for abutting engagement in certain positions of the legs and in alignment with the straight edge in one position of the legs and center bar, said center bar being pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends and having a shorter end beveled on the edge thereof opposite to said aforementioned edge and a longer end of a length at least equal to the length of said legs from the apertures to the remote ends thereof, said fastening being provided with means for spacing the center bar from the legs and for independently clamping the center bar relatively to the fastening, and the outer sides of said heads being provided with degree markings for cooperation with the aligned edges of the legs and center bar whereby a plurality of angles may be simultaneously measured.

WILLIAM THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 202,180 Little Apr. 9, 1878 380,714 Evans Apr. 10, 1888 830,727 Long Sept. 11, 1906 932,907 Rydman Aug. 31, 1909 1,264,633 Gibson Apr. 30, 1918 1,269,324 Shaver June 11, 1918 1,276,835 Toth Aug. 27, 1918 1,447,078 Harmsen Feb. 27, 1923 1,594,097 Histand July 27, 1926 1,797,827 Heimrich Mar. 24, 1931 2,001,654 Burrows May 14, 1935 2,023,539 Packard Dec. 10, 1935 2,060,686 Niemic Nov. 10, 1936 2,399,303 Thomas Apr. 30, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,616 Great Britain Oct. 21, 1874 19,570 Great Britain Oct. 15, 1894 437,132 Germany Nov. 15, 1926 

